Holding-catch for bag-frames.



W. A. LOTZ.

HOLDING GATOH FOB BAG FRAMES. APPLICATION FILED APR. 1, 1012.

Patented July 9, 1912.

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WILLIAM A. LOTZ, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO It. NEUMANN HARDWARE CO., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

HOLDING-CATCH FOR BAG-FRAMES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 9, 1912.

Application filed April 1, 1912. Serial No. 687,913.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, WILLIAM A. Lorz, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Holding- Catches for Bag-Frames; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and:

exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention has reference, generally, to improvements in locking or holding catches for the hinged or pivotally connected framesections of a bag-frame; and, the present invention has for its principal object to provide a novel, neat and simply constructed locking or holding catch of the general character hereinafter more fully set forth, in which the parts of the device have been reduced to a minimum, and in which the various parts are more effectively arranged, so as to provide a strong and positively acting snap-catch for the frame-sections of a bag-frame, and the like.

With the various objects of the present invention in view, the said invention consists, primarily, in the novel construction of looking or holding catch for bag-frames, and the like, hereinafter more particularly set forth, and then finally embodied in the clauses of the claim which are appended to and which form an essential part of this specification.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a face view of a portion of a bag-frame, showing the pivotally connected framesections thereof, and a side view of the looking or holding catch embodying the principles of the present invention; and Fig. 2 is a top or plan view of the catch, with the locking-lever thereof represented in its raised position, said view showing also in top view, portions of the two frame-sections of the bag-frame in their separated relation. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal verticalsection of the catch, separated from the frame-section, with the locking lever of the catch indicated in its closed position, said section being represented as taken on line 33 in said Fig.

2, looking in the direction of the arrow 00, and said view being made on an enlarged scale. Fig. 4E is a similar sectional representation of the catch, with the locking lever of the catch, shown in its raised position; Fig. 5 is a bottom View of the parts represented in said Fig. 3; and Fig. 6 is a trans verse vertical section of the device, said section being taken on line 66 in said Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrow :1]. Fig. 7 is a blank from which the locking or holding device of the catch is made.

Similar characters of reference are employed in all of the above described views, to indicate corresponding parts.

Referring now to the several figures of the drawings, the reference-characters 1 and 2 indicate portions of the usual forms of frame-sections.of a bag-frame, or the like, the said frame-sections being provided with 75 the usual leg-members 3 and 1 which are pivotally connected by means of a rivet or pin 5, substantially as shown in Fig. 1.

The complete structure of the locking or holding catch is indicated by the referencecharacter 6, and the same consists, essentially, of a suitable shell or casing which is preferably of a rectangular configuration, and comprises a flat-top 7, a pair of endmembers 8, and the longitudinally extending sides 9. At its one end-portion the said top 7 is formed with a slightly raised part, as 10, and with an openingll, a part of said opening extending laterally across the said top, and being formed with two longitudinally extending open portions, as 12 and 13, as shown more particularly in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The marginal edge-portion of the said raised part 10 is preferably underout, as represented in said Figs. 3 and l of the drawings, and the end-members 8 of the shell or casing of the catch are provided with downwardly extending fastening lugs, as 1 1, of the usual construction, and by means of which the said shell or casing is secured upon the outer face of the framesectional in the ordinary manner. Suitably secured within the inner portion of the said shell or casing, and to the under surface of the top 7, by means of a suitable rivet 15, is a spring-like engaging member 16, the same being made of sheet-metal having considerable stiffness, said member comprising a pair of suitably formed tongues or fingers 17 and 18, formed with an open space 19 1 0 between them, and the said tongues or fingers being suitably bent, as at 20, so as to provide two spring-members of great resiliency.

Suitably secured to the sides 9 of the shell or casing, and extending across the space formed between the said sides 9, at a point beneath the opening 11, is a pin 21 which serves as a pintle for the herein-above mentioned locking lever. This lever, as will be seen from an inspection of Fig. 7 of the drawings, is made froma flat piece of metal 22 of the general configuration shown, be ing provided with a pair of projections, as 23, each projection being integrally connected with the said flat piece of metal, extending from the longitudinal marginal edgeportions thereof, and being provided with holes or perforations 24. These projections 23 are bent at right angles to the plane of the said piece of metal, and the parts 25 and 26 of said piece of metal being bent at right angles to each other, the part 26 being in turn twisted so as to provide a flat portion 27, the planes of its faces being at right angles tothe planes of the faces of the said parts 25 and 26. The said part 26 is also made of less width than the part 25, so as to provide a pair of off-sets or shoulders 28 for the purposes to be presently more fully set forth. The said plate-like piece of metal 22, after it has been bent into the desired shape, is pivotally mounted by means of its perforated ears or projections upon the said pin 21, between the two sides 9, the part 26 extending in a downward direction between the two tongues or fingers 17 and 18, with the flat portion 27 arranged below the plane of said tongues or fingers and extending from the chambered portion of the shell or casing, and the said tongues or fingers 17 and 18 having their free end-portions resting in positive engagement upon the hereinabove mentioned off-sets or shoulders 28. The upper portions of the said ears or projections 23 project. into the longitudinally extending openings 12 and 13, being movably arranged therein, and the right angled part 25 extends from the opening 11, and lies flat upon the upper surface of the flat top 7 of the shell or casing, as will be clearly seen from an inspection of Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawings. The said part 25 is of such length, that its free end-portion will project beyond the end of the flat top 7, its said endportion being preferably chamfered, as at 29, so as to provide a suitable lifting means for raising the said part 25 and bringing the said plate-like element 22 and its parts into the positions indicated in Figs. 2, 1 and 5 of the drawings. The said part 25 is also of such thickness, that its upper fiat face will lie in the same plane of the face of the raised portion 10 of the top of the shell or casing, as will be clearly evident. While the said part 25 thus provides a lifting memher or lever, the said flat portion 27 provides a suitable holding or locking member which enters into engagement with a latch-plate 30, or other suitable holding means, with "which the frame-section 2 is provided, when the frame-sections 2 and 1 have been brought into their closed relation. The normal action of the free end-portions of the spring-like tongues or fingers 17 and 18 being in an upward direction, the parts are held positively in the positions indicated in said Figs. 1, 3 and 6; and, the parts, when manipulated so as to permit of the separa tion of the frame-sections, are just as positively held in their raised relation, because of the fact that the free end-portions of the tongues or fingers still bear positively and strongly upon the marginal edges of the offsets or shoulders 28, as clearly indicated in Fig. 4 of the drawings, so that the movement of the part 27 is in an upward direction and against the head of the rivet 15, and whereby the parts are securely held in their raised relation, against the accidental closing movements of the parts, until the lever or part 241 is manipulated by the operator.

From the foregoing description of the present invention it will be clearly seen, that I have provided a novel and neat, as well as a very simple and strong construction, in which the parts have been reduced to a minimum, and in which a powerful spring can be used, so as to retain the locking lever and its latch-engaging member positively either in its closed or open relation.

I claim 1. A catch for the frame-sections of a bag-frame, comprising a shell having means for securing said shell to a frame-section, said shell being provided in its top with an opening, a locking device pivotally mounted in said shell, said locking device comprising a part- 25 extending normally longitudinally along the top of said shell, a part 26 extending at right angles from said part 25, and a twisted portion connected with and extending from said part 26, said twisted portion providing a holding member, said twisted portion formingwith said part 26 a pair of shoulders, and a spring-like member secured in said shell, said spring-like member comprising a pair of fingers having their free end-portions in supporting engagement with said shoulders, substantially as and for the purposes set forth. a

2. A catch for the frame-sections of a bag-frame, comprising a shell having means for securing said shell to a frame-section, said shell being provided with a flat top, the one portion of said top being lower than the other port-ion thereof, and said top being provided with an opening located between the low and high port-ions of said top, a locking device pivotally mounted in said shell, said locking device comprising a flat part extending normally longitudinally along the lower portion of said top, the upper surface of said part 25 being in the same plane of the upper surface of the high portion of said top, a part 26 extending at right angles from said part- 25, and a twisted portion connected with and extending from said part 26, said twisted portion providing a holding member, said twisted portion forming with said part 26 a pair of shoulders, and a spring-like member secured in said shell, said spring-like member comprising a pair of fingers having their free end-portions in supporting engagement with said shoulders, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. A catch for the frame-sections of a bag-frame, comprising a shell having means for securing said shell to a frame-section, said shell being provided with a fiat top, the one portion of said top being lower than the other portion thereof, and said top being provided wit-h an opening located between the low and high portions of said top, a pintle within said shell located at a point below said opening, a locking device com-' prising a flat part 25, a holding member arranged at right angles to said part 25, and perforated pintle-receiving lugs at the junction of said part 25 and holding member for pivotally mounting said locking device upon said pintle, said flat part 25 extending normally longitudinally along the low portion of said top, the upper surface of said lever being in the same plane of the upper surface of the high portion of said top, said holding member comprising a part 26 and a twisted portion connected with and extending from said part 26, said twisted portion forming with said part 26 a pair of shoulders, and a spring-like member secured in said shell, said spring-like member comprising a pair of fingers having their free end-portions in supporting engagement with said shoulders, substantially as and for the purposes set forth,

In testimony, that I claim the invention set forth above I have hereunto set my hand this 29th day of March, 1912.

WILLIAM A. LOTZ.

Witnesses:

Fnnnx. C. FRAENTZEL, FnnnK. H. WV. FRAENTZEL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). G. 

